Eco-Fashion Tour de Force Natalie Chanin Has the CFDA in Her Corner

Yesterday, the CFDA and Lexus hosted a luncheon at New York's ABC Kitchen to announce the winner of the Eco-Fashion Challenge, a $75,000 accolade given to a designer who demonstrates unwavering commitment to both environmentally and socially sustainable work models. Green fashion has been a hot-button topic for a while now, and though at this point, it's globally recognized, its practices have not yet been widely implemented by the industry. Winner Natalie Chanin, of the seven-year-old label Alabama Chanin, is leading the way in just how effective and efficient eco-responsible infrastructure can be.

Courtesy of Alabama Chanin

Photo: Courtesy of Alabama Chanin

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Chanin is a charming, twinkling-eyed pioneer and, perhaps, under-appreciated for her work. That is, until now. "Thank you, this is a huge honor," she said quietly. Back at her table, she embraced friends and appeared to let it all sink in—$75,000 is a lot of money. "This will fund my new collection. So exciting," she said, noting that she also intends to move, sustainably of course, into "machinery production" (as of now, her garments are made by hand in a "cottage industry" format).

Her designs are folksy, embellished, somewhat unconventional, and individually chic—and were strong enough to capture former Barneys New York fashion director Julie Gilhart's eye when she was still at the department store. Gilhart, as it turns out, happened to be on the CFDA's panel for deciding this year's winner. "Natalie has such an understanding of this whole environment," she noted. "And not just from a design perspective, but also from a production perspective—it's the whole soup to nuts. She has really created a new template."

Courtesy of Alabama Chanin

Photo: Courtesy of Alabama Chanin

Production in particular follows an interesting chain and logic at Alabama Chanin, which operates out of Florence, Alabama—a location defiantly off of the fashion circuit. The designer sources organic cotton from Texas ("They're really growing it in large quantities now"), which makes its way across the South East—sometimes to North Carolina for treatment and always to Alabama for finishing. That arc alone displays a smaller, less jet fuel-consumptive footprint, and is furthered by Chanin's emphasis on the handmade, which leaves nary a carbon footprint whatsoever. To cap it off on the social end, Chanin is also deeply involved in local and greater community revitalization.

"The embroideries at the core of our work started as simple quilting stitches—a 'living art' that found resonance and utility in rural communities all over America," she said. "This inspires me every single day." The key, perhaps, to her consciousness lies in something one doesn't often hear: "Part of the appeal of being a designer, for me, is the act of bringing not only products but also systems of making to life." For her, it's not about the end, but rather, the entire. As Amber Valletta put it, "It's not always about doing it perfectly. It's about doing it better."